EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- There was a gravelly voice booming from the middle of the Patriots defensive backs' pregame huddle Thursday night. It sounded familiar.
Over the last few years, that's been Devin McCourty's job. But before the preseason finale, it was Jason McCourty who took charge. The veteran defensive back hasn't yet won a job with his new team, but he was the most senior member of the group that would be playing in the preseason finale.
The 31-year-old told his younger teammates to fly around. Have fun. Soak up the moment. He's in a much different place in his career than they are, but he was once in their shoes.
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As a sixth-round pick in 2009 -- which was the last year he played in the preseason finale to fight for a roster spot -- McCourty remembered what it was like to be guaranteed nothing, to be unsure of his football-playing future.
He was asked after the game about his impassioned speech beforehand.
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"I can remember being out there my rookie year, just think back to being a kid and you told your mom, one day you were gonna make it in the pros and she was never gonna work again," McCourty said. "Tonight was the beginning of that process. A lot of guys are on the bubble and playing in that fourth game and it's evaluated by the team you're on, but more importantly the 31 other teams.
"Going out, having a strong performance, a guy like JC [Jackson] going out there, snagging two picks and having a good game can start an opportunity -- whether it's here or elsewhere that can someday lead to four years down the line you're signing a contract extension that puts you in place for life. I think all those moments . . . Just take advantage of it, and enjoy it, and have fun."
McCourty has had a long career. He's seen that healthy extension. But he appeared to be playing for a job just like some of the unheralded rookies on the field. And he seemed to know it.
Playing safety for the second consecutive week, McCourty made one tackle. He came out of the game before halftime but then because of an injury to rookie to AJ Moore he saw another series in the secondary in the third quarter.
"Say a prayer," was his approach at halftime when he unexpectedly heard he was going back in, he said. "Let me not go out there and hurt anything with this old age, any muscles. Was able to make it out OK, but mentally you've played long enough, 'All right, I'm going back in the game. Get yourself set. Re-do your shoulder pads. Re-tie your cleats and go back out there.' "
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McCourty said he still isn't completely comfortable with playing safety; he got his first practice reps there last week. But Bill Belichick seemed encouraged by the progress McCourty's made there, thanks in part to some coaching from his brother.
"I haven't seen it but, I know it's happening," Belichick said. "They've gone over a lot of things at home, going through practice film, and game tapes and stuff like that so I know Devin is helping him a lot . . .
"I think he made a big jump this week. He did a good job last week, made some good tackles and I think just overall more comfortable this week, showed up on the practice field and looked like it tonight too, so that was encouraging."
McCourty is in an interesting spot as the Patriots prepare to cut their roster down to 53 players.
He's a corner by trade, which is a spot where the Patriots seem to have some intriguing young talent between Jackson and Keion Crossen. If the Patriots see McCourty as a jack-of-all trades in the secondary, he may provide some safety depth for a group that has three starting-caliber players cemented in their roles (Devin McCourty, Patrick Chung and Duron Harmon) but little in the way of experienced defensive depth behind them.
McCourty acknowledged there was a chance he wasn't with the team after the weekend, but he expressed confidence in his abilities, and he explained that he wasn't going to spend much time worrying about his chances of making the Week 1 roster.
"Nothing will be different for me this year than it's been in prior years," he said. "I really don't concern myself with what goes on, especially this being year 10. I've probably exceeded every expectation I had for myself, going into my rookie year of what my NFL career would be. So whatever happens here, happens. You put it in God's hands. You play your best. However it goes down, it goes down."
Even with an opportunity to play meaningful games with his brother on the line, McCourty said that wouldn't impact his nerves over the next few days.
"Not really," he said. "I think it's been really cool throughout this process being there with him, but at the end of the day, this thing's a business and obviously us playing with each other is a small part of it. But we don't decide that either. If you're not here, if you have a better opportunity elsewhere, I wouldn't say I'd pass up on everything just to play with Dev, but obviously this has been a unique process so far.
"It's been a lot of fun having him next to me, being able to have our families hang out with one another, mom having to come to one city to see us play . . . I've enjoyed every moment. Even coming in, in April, I kind of put a premium on that. You don't know what's going to unfold, how this thing's going to go. So just make sure throughout the process you enjoy every moment and soak it all in."